Fight officials to face BSA ire
Tournament of 24 rounds fails to meet requirements
THREE boxing promoters who organised a boxing tournament in Ilitha near King William’s Town could find themselves in hot water with Boxing SA.
This after their tournament failed to meet the standard requirement of a minimum of 36 rounds as stipulated in the Boxing Act. This tournament however was boxed over 24 rounds.
The promoters, Chris Pondo of Pondo Magongo, Mkwayi Promotions and Andile Bakubaku’s Champs and Son received funding from Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality to organise the show.
But some boxers reportedly withdrew, leaving the tournament depleted and close to being called off.
This led to the official weigh-in on Saturday being delayed for several hours while BSA head office in Pretoria were locked in discussions on whether the tournament should be allowed to go ahead.
BSA chief executive Tsholofelo Lejaka confirmed that the regulatory body was caught between a rock and a hard place regarding the continuation of the show.
“We realised that we either cancel the tournament and affect all the other boxers who had prepared for their fights or allow it to go ahead by invoking a clause in the Act,” he said.
“We decided on the latter because, remember, boxers’ welfare should come first in situations like these.”
Lejaka said one of the promoters tried to put the blame elsewhere but was caught up when BSA scrutinised the submitted bill for the tournament. The tournament, the first for the region for the year, was supposed to celebrate the generosity of BCM to rescue local promoters.
This after the region recorded the lowest number of tournaments last year, sparking concern that its status as the boxing Mecca in the land was under threat.
BSA-Eastern Cape manager, Phakamile Jacobs confirmed that BCM took the event so seriously that it had two representatives present.
“It was a shame that the organisation of the tournament was so poor when promoters should have pulled all the stops,” he said.
Although Lejaka allowed the show to go ahead he revealed that the promoters would be investigated.
“We only saved the tournament on behalf of the boxers, but as for the promoters, they will still have to account,” he said.
The main attraction of the watereddown four-bout event saw Mawande Matroos romping to a points victory over provincial bantamweight champion Bonani Ngozi.
The Yethu Boxing Club-trained Matroos came to the bout with an impressive fight record of a single loss in seven fights.
Despite facing a more illustrious opponent, who calls current world champion Zolani Tete his stablemate, Matroos was unfazed as he used his speed to a good effect to build an early lead.
With former SA flyweight champion and rapidly improving Ncedo Cecane in his corner, Matroos continued the good form of the legendary club which also boasts current national junior-lightweight champion, Phila Mpontshane and SA mini-flyweight king, Xolisa Magusha.